“After I made that foul I was almost crying,” admits 25-year-old Ingreso. “I didn’t even complain to the referee, I messed up big time. Emotionally and mentally it wasn’t easy. I was a mess. 

“It was the worst moment I’ve ever had in my career. Carli di Murga and Simone Rota came up to me and said there was plenty of time, it could happen to anyone.” 

Redemption, though, was not long in coming as 10 minutes later Ingreso found himself on the end of a looped Iain Ramsay cross from the left and headed home to spark joyous celebrations all around. 

An injury-time Phil Younghusband penalty eventually capped a 2-1 win as the Philippines advanced to their maiden AFC Asian Cup and Ingreso’s rollercoaster of a night ended on the ultimate high. 

“I was jogging forward and saw a lot of space and I knew Iain was going to cross,” recalls the midfielder. 

“I don’t have the best heading skills but I saw the defender coming at me and thought if I controlled it I might lose it, so I headed it. I was lucky as I hit it perfectly, but I still can’t believe I made it. 

“It’s like a movie, making a big mistake but then scoring the saving goal. I would have taken the boring 0-0 to go to the Asian Cup, but the atmosphere was amazing and I will never forget the game.”

Born in Hamburg to a Filipino father and a German mother, Ingreso took up football at the age of six. At 13, he joined the St. Pauli youth team but was soon acquired by the club’s more illustrious neighbours: Hamburger SV. Here, Ingreso was part of a set-up that included arguably the greatest Asian player of the current generation: Son Heung-min. 

But, after signing his first professional contract with the club and representing their second team between 2011 and 2013, the midfielder wanted more game time and dropped down to Germany’s lower tiers. In 2015, though, his life would take a dramatic twist. 

“[Philippines coach] Thomas Dooley called me out of the blue to tell me he was in Germany,” reveals Ingreso. 

“He’d heard a lot about me and said he wanted to see if I was an option for the national team. After watching me play he was waiting for me and told me he was going to invite me for the World Cup qualifiers in June 2015.” 

Ingreso traveled east and watched from the sidelines as the Philippines defeated Bahrain in their first FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 qualifying game, before coming off the bench as a late substitute to earn his international debut in a 2-0 win over Yemen in Doha. 

But the decision to represent the Southeast Asian nation would also end up having a far greater effect on his life than just making the occasional long flight halfway round the world as Ingreso, after speaking with teammates including Patrick Reichelt and Manny Ott, was ultimately talked into playing his club football in the country with Ceres Negros.

At Ceres, Ingreso teamed up with a number of his international colleagues and what followed has been a rise to the summit of Philippines club football. After finishing second in the league in his first season and making his AFC Cup debut in a campaign that was hindered by injury, 2017 would prove a huge success. 

Ceres were crowned league champions and finished top of their group on the continent. They edged 2015 AFC Cup winners Johor Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia on away goals in the ASEAN Zonal semi-finals and then defeated Singapore’s Home United to be crowned ASEAN Zonal champions and advance to the Inter-Zone semi-finals. 

A 4-0 defeat to Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol in Dushanbe ultimately gave Ceres too much to do as they exited 5-1 on aggregate but the Busmen had broken new ground for the Philippines, whose sides have only been competing in the AFC Cup since 2015. 

“We are super proud of what we achieved together and, for me, it was the biggest achievement so far in my life,” reflects Ingreso. 

“People were saying we were just a small Filipino team who couldn’t do anything, so when we beat Home United 2-0, our players were crying.” 

Winning the Philippines Football League meant Ceres were entered into the 2018 AFC Champions League Preliminary Round, where they defeated Myanmar’s Shan United on penalties, before pulling off a stunning upset by winning 3-2 away at Australia’s Brisbane Roar.

Now just 90 minutes away from the Philippines’ maiden appearance in the group stage of the competition, Ceres were faced with the daunting challenge of China’s Tianjin Quanjian, a side boasting global stars Alexandre Pato, Axel Witsel and Anthony Modeste. 

A 2-0 loss in freezing conditions ensued but Ceres had again proven themselves a force to be reckoned with and returned to the AFC Cup group stage widely considered one of the strongest teams in the ASEAN region. 

“You can learn from players such as Witsel, Modeste and Pato,” says Ingreso. “We had a really bad preparation as our visas were late and we arrived [in China] at 6am on the day of the game. 

“It was the biggest game in our history. We had been training in 35 degrees the day before in the Philippines and arrived at minus five degrees on game day. 

“But it was a nice experience – even though we had no sleep or preparation – and you can’t take those memories away from us.” 

Ceres kicked off their AFC Cup campaign with a record-equaling 9-0 victory over Cambodia’s Boeung Ket FC in their opening Group F game as they underlined their intentions from the off. 

Three wins and a draw from the next four games followed before Home United won in Bacolod City to pip Ceres to top spot. Both teams qualified for the Zonal semi-finals and, after the Filipino side defeated Yangon United and the Singaporeans beat Persija Jakarta, they will meet once more in the Zonal final.

“We were confident but as the Zonal champions we knew everyone wanted to beat us,” admits Ingreso. “But the good thing is that most of us stayed together so it’s basically the same team with not many adjustments. 

“We’re looking forward to the first game [against Home United] and it’s time to prove ourselves again. We have to bring our game on the pitch, then we believe we can win. You have to defend the title.” 

The first half of 2018 could barely have gone any better for Ingreso, but the months ahead provide the potential to exceed anything that has gone before in the midfielder’s career. 

Ceres are just one of seven teams remaining in the AFC Cup, while the Philippines’ biggest moment in international football kicks off in early 2019 when the eyes of a nation will be on the Azkals in their maiden AFC Asian Cup campaign. 

The tournament also offers Ingreso the chance of a meeting with his former teammate Son, after the Philippines were drawn in a strong Group C alongside Korea Republic, China and Kyrgyz Republic.

“All of the teams in our group are strong. I was happy that we got Korea because I played in the U-17 and U-19 youth teams with Son Heung-min, so I’m happy that we’ll see each other and play against each other. 

“Last time I saw him was in the youth team and I’ve since seen him make a name for himself and become a superstar, but when we see each other we’ll talk.” 

One of just three debutants, the Philippines will go into the AFC Asian Cup as underdogs. But with the competiton introducing the Round of 16 for the first time, there will be hope of springing a surprise. 

“When it comes to playing for the Azkals, I get goosebumps. I want to play my heart out representing Filipinos all over the world.”